Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-23
SANTA CLAUS AND THE rAR.o


what he says he is childish
SANTA CLAUS AND THE PAR ON~.
An enterprising Boston journal has in
terviewed nlnety-six clergymen on the sub
isct of our anrient, hoary headed, round
and ruddy friend, jolly old SANTA CLAUS,
whether he should De- permitted to make
his annual Christmas visit down the chin
news of our homes or should be hanished
from this hand Of the lace aud home OF the
brave.
A.a-' ~ very decided majority the
Boston parsons Condemned the poor little
old man to perpetual hanishment, OF
al least that he be exposed ~ an impOstor,
~ that the children of Boston may here,
after point the finger Of scorn at old SANTA
a. waddlr- out from the fireplace and
gazes around the mautel-pieCc and on
the backs Of the chairs for the little stock
ings that are no more to he hung up 10 r.,
ceiye the gifts OF the tat old fellow with
the twinkliug eyes. Forty-Ous Of
these reverend gentlemen denOunce
hun roundly a. criminal, a
pagan, a relic of superstition,
a pernicious foreigner. They can hardly
find words that will hurt the old saint
enough. Eighteen reluctantly concede
that he he let OF with lighter punishment
and are Of opinion that the truth should
be told about him, that he should be tx
posed, al least rs a humbug. The little
folks must all be taught that there il no
such an absurd old parsonage that goes
about over the snow clad roofs OF their
houses in q sleigh laden with toys and
drawn By swift reindeer. They must be
told that it is all humbug and that SANTA
Claus doesn't come down the chimneys at
all, that he does not ill their stockings
and that their parents have been humbug-
ging when they said he did. All the mys,
teri65tuts proceedings OF Christmas eve must
he abolished ~ stiffness which well in
formed little HISTORIANS, even if just grad
uated from long clothes should be above
participating in Or being deceived by.
Thirty-six Boston clergymen, 20 their
everlasting honor be- it sad, dissent from
the Judgment Of the majority Of theiI
brethren aud come out squarely on the
side of our dear old friend SANTA CLAUS
They back him up in each and every one
oil his sly and Jolly old tricks, aud one o.
these clergvmen candidly admits that he
hangs up bis stocking every Christmas eve
with those afhis children. May the Christ
mas saints geo tuit that his stocking is vel
filled
Az for the tily-riue clergymen who 81
ronndly denounce old SANTA CLAUS
well, i, is pretty safe TO say, they baye Nc
children OF their own, or never were
children themselves. 1t they have chill
dren. we needn't envy the children theil
homes. Poor little things, their father,
don't belong II this sga but to thai
of the sour yisaged, straight wasted, witch
burning Boston OF long ago, when people
were put in jail for celebrating Christmas
or eating plum pudding. SANTA CLAUs
wasn't around Boston in those days. Hi
would have been way-lsid on Christmas
Eve, Lis reindeer put in the pound, his
stock of toys eonfscated and himsel
burned at the stake OF logged out of town
Then the ffty-nine would have preached
sermons half day long on the advisabilitJ
of logging all the nonsense ont Of th'
children, who pitied the old Christina:
saint.
But in spite of these ffty-nine Boston
clergymen old SANTA CLArs is firmly
established in the hearts OF American
children, in Boston or elsewhere, and every
year sees his dominion extended and biz
power increased.
May SANTA CLAUS ignore, henceforth,
every one of the filty-nine!
A Great Ticket.
usreyaRd PAIN Dealer.
RepubIiaan ticket for ISIS. For Presi-